The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-23
THE MAD ENGINEER.
And the Story Of His Fearful Re-
venge.

"That is a very good story, boys, and
reminds me of something that hap
pened several years ago, when 1 was
firing for one of the best men that ever
pulled a throttle" said n veteran en-
gineer in n crowd of railroad employees.
eff / thought it wouldn't tax the pa
thence Of you too much / would tell
you about it-although," he said, after
n moments pause, Il have never dared
speak of the accident, or incident,
since it happened, in 1868, believe. :"
Lets have it, Uncle Tommy" spoke
up the crowd as one man, who well
knew Uncle Tommy's undoubted abil-
ity at storytelling when the subject in
volved rsilroading.
ITO begin with" said he, after the
crowd had become quiet and assumed
a listening attitude, lit is necessary to
tell you about my engineer, in order
that you may the better appreciate the
story, and be less bitter in your de-
nunciation of his conduct on the night
in question, for the story am going
to tell you happened at night
'His name was Wendall-Earl Wen
hAAAg - NNAJ HANNbJ AAttAAAD NOu W III Stt >
but it was very appropriate, for 1 will
60 on record as saying that he was the
handsonlest man that old Tom ever
laid eyes on. When say handsome,
why, that is what l mean exactly, for
he was really and truly handsome, and
what made him still more so in my
eyes, he didn't know it. That is, you
wouldn think he knew it from his
actions. He was just simply good,
handsome Earl Wendall of the '53.'
had been firing for him about eighteen
months, and had come to love him rs q
brother. This same Earl WendalI that
I am telling you about was in love He
loved one girl, and the Lord only knows
how many girls all along the line were
head over heels in love with him. Dur
ing nv run with him never day
passed that some shy maiden didn't
send him flowers, or some little token
Of friendship, as we were passing
through. Sometimes they would come
themselves. then again they would send
a messenger. Il was that way all along
/ have seen Earl's box full of flowers
He would accept them in every In
stance simply with a bow and a fain
smile, returning his thanks to tn,
sender, throw them into his box anC
that was the last of them until thel
withered; then he would raise the boz
lid and cast them out, seemingly un
conscious and little caring of the pans
that such action would cause in tn,
hearts of the fair donors had the,
known the fate of their flowers.
Earl appreciated all this, I am con
fident, but IA l nave said, he was il
love, not with the girls at every sta
ton, but with one girl, and he was de
termined to keep his heart for her anC
her only How this action was appre
ciated by the favored one you will
know after awhile.
About fifty miles from Providenc
was the supper house for our train.
was called the Bush supper house,
Bush was Jolly old German, and wa
universally liked by the railroaders an
travellers generally. Besides being pre-
prietor of the Bush house he was tn
father of as pretty a girl as ever took
step. Her name was Bessie, and sh
was Earl Wendall's idol. l can't b'
gin to describe her, but she was ju.
the girl, 1 thought, for Earl Wendal
Earl thought the same way. and ha
made her promise long ago to shar
his fortune with him. All the railroa
men knew of Earl's and Bessie's Ell
gagement, and speculation was rife {
10 when the wedding was going
come Off
Occasionally Earl would come fro
the-Bush house bringing his flower
These had a separate place from Il
rest, and I have known him to haul on
of her bouquets a month, and then pa
with il with a sigh.
Zone day Earl said TO me:
'''Uncle Tommy, how do you iii
BessP'
Mighty we'll, Earl. replied; Mi
Bush is what l call a first-class lit
woman
Earl was silent for moment TIL,
he said;
i" I'm glad to hear you say so, Unc
Tommy. Well, Bess and l are goiI
to get married next Sunday week.
Earl always called her 'Bess' f
short.
"'Is that SOP answered l, feignii
surprise. i expected as much, Eal
but 1 thought it would be too inqui
tive TO ask you
"I should have told you," he a
s1vered, but I thought it best to kei
10 a secret, at least until now. I wa
YOU 10 be az the wedding. II will "a
place al her father house,
This conversation took place
Wednesday. I believe. When '
stopped for supper again it was on F
day. II took Us two days TO make {
gouud Trip aswc were en- the mix